Stone Zoo welcomes six Caribbean flamingo chicks

An adult Caribbean flamingo at Stone Zoo checks on one of the newest arrivals at the Stoneham facility, where staff members recently announced the hatching of six chicks. They brought the zoo’s breeding colony of Caribbean flamingos to 53. “The flock has grown tremendously from its initial population of four birds 20 years ago,’’ said Frederick Beall, general curator for the zoo’s parent organization, Zoo New England. “Even the oldest member of the flock, a 44-year-old female, continues to reproduce and contribute to the colony’s growth,’’ he said. Caribbean flamingo chicks are born white and develop their distinctive pink color at 2 to 3 years of age. A video showing the Stone Zoo’s new residents and discussing its flamingo breeding program is posted at www.youtube.com, under “Seeing Pink: Learn more about Stone Zoo’s flamingos.’’